Refluxed tobacco extract and method of making the same



p 1957 M. MIQUEL Y MERINO 2,805,669

REFLUXED TOBACCO EXTRACT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. '7, 1955 i/zgzzei 1727x161) 2/2720.

REFLUXED TOBACCO EXTRACT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Miguel Miquel y Merino, Havana, Cuba, assignor to Papel Para Cigarros, S. A., Havana, Cuba Application February 7, 1955, Serial No. 486,710

8 Claims. (Cl. 131-143) This invention relates to a tobacco extract useful in the cigarette paper industry and a method vor processv for preparing this extract.

g The cigarette industry has for many years been concerned with improving the quality of the finished cigarette product by such methods as improved blending, making the cut tobacco powderless and adding syrups to aflect the taste. However, as the art has developed, very little attention has been directed to improving or masking the taste quality of the cigarette paper covering itself. The cigarette paper has in the past performed no other function than as a mere container for the cut tobacco.

A representative showing of the United States patent art designed for use with cigarette wrappers is shown in the following: No. 50,038Roflee; No. 189,182- Broseker; No. 217,767Bolles; No. l,008,730--Rodenhausen.

In contradistinction, the present invention deals with a novel reflux extraction process and resulting extract suitable for use with cigarette papers. The process is conducted under conditions of normal atmospheric pressure. By means of critical process limitations such as keeping the tobacco in contact with the alcohol vapor but out of contact with the liquid alcohol during the extracting operation, an extract may be produced by means of which it is possible to alter or correct the bitter taste produced by the cigarette paper in burning. In other words, by means of the present invention it is possible tov produce a treated cigarette paper with much less paper taste and more pure tobacco taste. Thus by use of the extract of the present invention the cigarette paper may serve as a way of incorporating desirable taste elements in cigarettes.

By means of the extract of the present invention it is also possible to vary or alter the qualities of the finished cigarette by using the right proportion between the varieties of tobacco filler used and the concentration of extract applied to the paper itself. In this way a mild tasting variety of tobacco may be used in combination with a paper containing a high concentration of extract, and a strong type of tobacco filler may be used with a low concentration of extract in the paper. Also the properties of the extract itself may be altered by using different types of tobacco in its preparation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel reflux extraction process for preparing an alcoholic tobacco extract for use with cigarette papers.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a novel refluxed alcoholic tobacco extract useful for impregnating cigarette papers which masks or alters the bitter taste produced by burning cigarette paper.

The process and product of this invention have utility in the treatment of papers used in the cigarette making industry.

The following examples illustrate the preparation and use of the novel refluxed alcoholic tobacco extract of United States Patento F ice the present invention but are not to be construed as limiting the same. The schematic elevation drawing illustrates a typical reflux apparatus by which the invention may be practiced. The drawing is designed to illustrate and not limit the invention.

Example I A starting material mixture of 10% of tobacco leaves 11 and of ethyl alcohol 12 proof) by weight was placed in an apparatus consisting of a tinplated copper digestor 13 and a stainless steel condenser 14. Extraction of the tobacco was carried out by heating the alcohol 12 in member 13,. Theevolved vapor passed into condenser 14 and where said vapor was condensed and returned to member 13, whereby a refluxed alcoholic extract of the tobacco 11 was obtained. This process was continued for a period of three hours.' Care was taken during the extracting operation to insure that the tobacco was maintained in contact with the alcohol vapors and not in cont-act with liquid boiling alcohol.

At the end of the extraction operation and while the crude refluxed extract was still hot it was decolorized by the addition of about 0.05% by weight of activated charcoal. A clear amber colored liquid was obtained which had a solid matter concentration of 0.14%. This solid matter by analysis comprised complicated products formed by fats, sugars, essential oils and proteins. The solid matter content of the extract may be determined by. the conventional method involving the heating of a known quantity of the extract and weighing the residue remaining after evaporating the solvent by said heat treatment. The solid matter may also be referred to as the materials dissolved in the solvent. By means of adding water or ethyl alcohol as a diluent the solid matter content of the extract was adjusted to the effective range of 0.005%-0.07%.

Example II Cigarette paper was impregnated with a 0.02% solid matter refluxed extract obtained by the process of Example I. The impregnation was carried out in a standard machine of the type conventionally used for the addition to the paper of nitrates, phosphates, saccharin and other substances. Alternatively, the impregnation may be carried out by a conventional press located in a position just before the last drying cylinders of a paper making machine.

The cigarette paper absorbed approximately one kilogram of extract per kilogram of paper and the extract had a specific gravity near one. Thus, a treated cigarette paper was obtained containing 0.02% of solid matter extracted from tobacco leaves.

Additional experiments showed that the optimum results for pleasant and smooth tasting paper were obtained when the treated paper contained approximately 0.02% of said solid matter by weight. It was further observed that below 0.005% the taste effect was difficult to notice in the cigarette paper and that a cigarette paper containing over 0.07% solid matter will have too strong and inappropriate a taste.

Various modifications may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof and it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Therefore I claim:

1. A method of treating cigarette paper which consists in impregnating the paper with an alcoholic extract of tobacco, the said extract being derived by reflux extraction of tobacco with alcohol and the subsequent decolorization of said extract by charcoal, the said extract having approximately .005% to .07% by weight of dissolved matter.

I 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the tobacco extract contains approximately 0.02% by weight of materials dissolved in the alcohol solvent.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the content of the materials dissolved in the solvent adjusted by means d d lu n v eqsdf om sfoup n i n of Wa e and ethyl alcohol. v

4. A. tobaceo extract foriimpregnating cigarette paper obtained by subjecting tobacco and alcohol to a reflux extracting process and then decolorizing said extract with charcoal, wherein the content of material dissolved in the alcohol solvent; ranges from approximately 0.005% to 0.07% by weight:

5. The tobacco extract according to claim 4 wherein the contenty of the materials di ssolved in the alcohol solvent isLadjusted by means of a :diluent selected from a group iconsisting ofwater and ethyl alcohol. v

16. A tobacco extract for impregnating cigarette paper obtained by subjecting tobacco and alcohol to a reflux extracting process and then decolorizing said extract with charcoalywherein the content of materials dissolved in the the alcohol solvent is approximately 0.02% by weight.

7. A process for preparing a tobacco extract useful for treatingcigarette' paper which comprises reflux extracting a mixture of 10% tobacco leaves and 90% of 190 proof ethyl alcohol for a period of 7 about three hours while maintaining the tobacco leaves in 'contact with the alcohol vapors but out of contact with the alcohol liquid; discoloring the crude extract with activated References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2l, 558 Durell Sept. 21,1858

802,487 Wiminer Oct. 24, 1905 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,340 Great Britain 1903 289,036 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1928 699,979 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Couch: A Dictionary of Chemical Terms. Page 78. Published 1920b) D. Van Nostrand Co. New York.

Franlre nburg W. 6.: Advances in Enzymology, vol. 10, page 37 Published 1950 by lnterscience Publishers, Inc. New York, N. Y. I 

1. A METHOD OF TREATING CIGARETTE PAPER WHICH CONSISTS IN IMPREGNATING THE PAPER WITH AN ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF TOBACCO, THE SAID EXTRACT BEING DERIVED BY REFLUX EXTRACTION OF TOBACCO WITH ALCOHOL AND THE SUBSEQUENT DECOLORIZATION OF SAID EXTRACT BY CHARCOAL, THE SAID EXTRACT HAVING APPROXIMATELY .005% TO .07% BY WEIGHT OF DISSOLVED MATTER 